AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION AT DIFFERENT AGES. 

 Oadus pollachius, the PolIacJc. 



109 



I have not myself made any observations on the spawning of the 

 pollack, but there can be no doubt that it spawns early in the year, 

 in February and March. It may also be assumed that the ova are 

 pelagic and buoyant. The few data given in the table are not 

 sufficient to show the rate of growth with certainty, but I think they 

 may be trusted as far as they go. It may be inferred that 7 inches 

 is about the maximum growth for one year. The pollack caught 

 in Plymouth Sound in June and July are 12 to 15 inches in length. 

 These are, I believe, over two years old. The fish grows to more 

 than 2 feet in length, I have no evidence to show whether it 

 begins to breed when only one year old or not. The pollack is a 

 coast fish, and its young seem always to be found in shallow water, 

 in bays and inlets, and in the neighbourhood of rocks and piers. 

 It is seldom, though occasionally, taken in the trawl, as it feeds 

 mostly in mid-water, not on the bottom, and usually occurs in the 

 neighbourhood of rocks and weeds. 



Gadus luscus, the Pout or Bib. 



Date of 

 collection. 



June 17, 1889 



Sept. 5, 1890 



Oct. 2, 1890 

 June 17, 1889 



Number of 

 specimens. 



11 



Length in 

 centimetres. 



Length in 

 inches. 



6-4— 7-7 2-5— 3-0 



11-7 



4-6 



107— 13-0 4-2— 5-1 

 12-5 1 4-9 



Calculated age. 



Locality and remarks. 



3 months jWhitsand Bay, 3 to 5 fath- 

 . oms; small-meshed trawl 

 I at night. 



6 months iCawsand Bay; shrimp 



trawl. 



7 months Ditto. 



year 2 months. Whitsand Bay ; small- 

 meshed trawl. 



This species grows to about 1 foot in length, and we may judge 

 from the last entry in the table that its size at the end of the first 

 year is 5 to 6 inches. In June it is 2 to 3 inches in length, and at 



